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% THE GLASS FACTORY. %
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#§¤^=,¨¨¨¨ SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ¨¨¨¨,=^¤§#
##§¤^=,¨¨¨ BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ¨¨¨,=^¤§##
###§¤^=,¨¨ THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ¨¨,=^¤§###
####§¤^=,¨ NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ¨,=^¤§####
###§¤^=,¨¨ SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ¨¨,=^¤§###
##§¤^=,¨¨¨ STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ¨¨¨,=^¤§##
#§¤^=,¨¨¨¨ FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ¨¨¨¨,=^¤§#
§¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨ THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤§
¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ AND A GIFT SHOP. ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ CONSIDERED POOR. ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤
§¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤§
#§¤^=,¨¨¨¨ THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ¨¨¨¨,=^¤§#
##§¤^=,¨¨¨ DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ¨¨¨,=^¤§##
###§¤^=,¨¨ YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ¨¨,=^¤§###
####§¤^=,¨ REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ¨,=^¤§####
###§¤^=,¨¨ CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ¨¨,=^¤§###
##§¤^=,¨¨¨ LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ¨¨¨,=^¤§##
#§¤^=,¨¨¨¨ PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ¨¨¨¨,=^¤§#
§¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨ SOME ARE SHATTERED. ¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤§
¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤
§¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨ TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤§
#§¤^=,¨¨¨¨ GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ¨¨¨¨,=^¤§#
##§¤^=,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,=^¤§##
###§¤^=,¨¨ %% ¨¨,=^¤§###
####§¤^=,¨ %% %% ¨,=^¤§####
###§¤^=,¨¨ ======= % % ======= ¨¨,=^¤§###
##§¤^=,¨¨¨ %% %% ¨¨¨,=^¤§##
#§¤^=,¨¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨¨,=^¤§#
§¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤§
¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤
§¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨ DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤§
#§¤^=,¨¨¨¨ ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ¨¨¨¨,=^¤§#
##§¤^=,¨¨¨ LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ¨¨¨,=^¤§##
###§¤^=,¨¨ WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ¨¨,=^¤§###
####§¤^=,¨ ¨,=^¤§####
###§¤^=,¨¨ HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ¨¨,=^¤§###
##§¤^=,¨¨¨ HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ¨¨¨,=^¤§##
#§¤^=,¨¨¨¨ IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ¨¨¨¨,=^¤§#
§¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨ INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤§
¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤
§¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨ HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤§
#§¤^=,¨¨¨¨ LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ¨¨¨¨,=^¤§#
##§¤^=,¨¨¨ TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ¨¨¨,=^¤§##
###§¤^=,¨¨ A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ¨¨,=^¤§###
####§¤^=,¨ STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ¨,=^¤§####
###§¤^=,¨¨ BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ¨¨,=^¤§###
##§¤^=,¨¨¨ ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ¨¨¨,=^¤§##
#§¤^=,¨¨¨¨ LIT FROM BEHIND. ¨¨¨¨,=^¤§#
§¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤§
¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤
§¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨ AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤§
#§¤^=,¨¨¨¨ OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ¨¨¨¨,=^¤§#
##§¤^=,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,=^¤§##
###§¤^=,¨¨ %% ¨¨,=^¤§###
####§¤^=,¨ %% %% ¨,=^¤§####
###§¤^=,¨¨ ======= % % ======= ¨¨,=^¤§###
##§¤^=,¨¨¨ %% %% ¨¨¨,=^¤§##
#§¤^=,¨¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨¨,=^¤§#
§¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤§
¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤
§¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨ DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤§
#§¤^=,¨¨¨¨ CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ¨¨¨¨,=^¤§#
##§¤^=,¨¨¨ SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ¨¨¨,=^¤§##
###§¤^=,¨¨ PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ¨¨,=^¤§###
####§¤^=,¨ ¨,=^¤§####
###§¤^=,¨¨ THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ¨¨,=^¤§###
##§¤^=,¨¨¨ THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ¨¨¨,=^¤§##
#§¤^=,¨¨¨¨ THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ¨¨¨¨,=^¤§#
§¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨ A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤§
¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤
§¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨ CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤§
#§¤^=,¨¨¨¨ ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ¨¨¨¨,=^¤§#
##§¤^=,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,=^¤§##
###§¤^=,¨¨ THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ¨¨,=^¤§###
####§¤^=,¨ WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ¨,=^¤§####
###§¤^=,¨¨ CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ¨¨,=^¤§###
##§¤^=,¨¨¨ BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ¨¨¨,=^¤§##
#§¤^=,¨¨¨¨ FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ¨¨¨¨,=^¤§#
§¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨ BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤§
¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ FLOOR. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤
§¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨ HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤§
#§¤^=,¨¨¨¨ KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ¨¨¨¨,=^¤§#
##§¤^=,¨¨¨ LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ¨¨¨,=^¤§##
###§¤^=,¨¨ WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ¨¨,=^¤§###
####§¤^=,¨ PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ¨,=^¤§####
###§¤^=,¨¨ HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ¨¨,=^¤§###
##§¤^=,¨¨¨ THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ¨¨¨,=^¤§##
#§¤^=,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,=^¤§#
§¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨ I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤§
¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤
§¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨ BECOME STILL. ¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤§
#§¤^=,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,=^¤§#
##§¤^=,¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨,=^¤§##
###§¤^=,¨¨ %% %% ¨¨,=^¤§###
####§¤^=,¨ ======= % % ======= ¨,=^¤§####
###§¤^=,¨¨ %% %% ¨¨,=^¤§###
##§¤^=,¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨,=^¤§##
#§¤^=,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,=^¤§#
§¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨ A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤§
¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤
§¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨ SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤§
#§¤^=,¨¨¨¨ AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ¨¨¨¨,=^¤§#
##§¤^=,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,=^¤§##
###§¤^=,¨¨ SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ¨¨,=^¤§###
####§¤^=,¨ THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ¨,=^¤§####
###§¤^=,¨¨ GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ¨¨,=^¤§###
##§¤^=,¨¨¨ I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ¨¨¨,=^¤§##
#§¤^=,¨¨¨¨ THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ¨¨¨¨,=^¤§#
§¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤§
¤^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^¤
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